Dating Terms
by Pepper9873
Summary: When Kes overhears a conversation, one of the things mentioned leads her to ask Voyager's commanding women about dating, and some of their experiences with it.


A/N: I don't really know how I ended up writing this story, but I did. Please review if you read.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

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Kes loved strolling down _Voyager's_ corridors during the shift changes. Most people would call it hectic and crowded, but she found that it was a great way to find out about the crew's lives. Not that she needed to be sneaky to find out about their lives; most of the crew was more than willing to talk about their personal lives with her. She had always been a good listener and non-judgmental -something that people found inviting.

As she turned a corner, she couldn't help but overhear Lieutenant Nicoletti talking to one of her co-workers, Ensign Swinn, about a rather common subject among the crew's single females: Tom Paris.

"So, are you going to go out with him?" Swinn asked nonchalantly.

"I think so," Nicoletti replied. "If we were still in the Alpha Quadrant, I might have thought otherwise. Being here changes things, though. There aren't many guys to choose from, and you have to snag the good ones before someone else does."

This invoked laughter from her companion. "You really think Paris is one of the good guys?"

"I do. He may seem like a womanizer, but he's actually really nice when you get to know him."

"Well, you can have him. We may be over seventy-thousand light-years away from Earth, but I know without a doubt that Tom Paris is _not_ 'daddy approved'."

The last statement perplexed Kes. What did Swinn mean by 'daddy approved'? She never got the opportunity to introduce anyone she 'dated' to her father, but she was certain that he wouldn't have disapproved of her choices. He had always been supporting in most of her endeavors. To think that anyone's father would be unsupportive of what made his daughter happy was beyond imaginable. Perhaps it was only human men that felt the need to have a say in who their daughter had a relationship with?

She contemplated as she entered the Mess hall and grabbed a tray of food from the galley. As she looked for a place to sit, she noticed Captain Janeway and Lieutenant Torres sitting together at one of the tables, having one of their rarely publicized conversations. She figured that at least one of the two women would have a suitable answer to her question, and went to join them.

B'Elanna was the first one to notice her as she reached the table. "Hi, Kes," she greeted.

"Hi. Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Janeway gestured to the empty chair. "Go right ahead."

Kes sat down and started picking at her food.

"Is something wrong, Kes?" Janeway asked concerned.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just… thinking."

"About what?" B'Elanna inquired.

"Do you mind if I ask you two a personal question?"

"How personal?"

"Not _real _personal. It's about dating."

Janeway was taken aback. "Dating?"

"Well, I heard someone talking about someone else, saying that he wasn't 'daddy approved'. What exactly does that mean?"

"Most fathers are protective of their daughters -especially when it comes to other men. Usually the 'daddy approved' men are the ones that are respectable."

"Did your father ever do that with you, captain?"

"Only once. I was in my senior-year in high school, and I was dating this guy that was frequently delinquent in school. I knew he wasn't the best person to be involved with, but I was infatuated with him. I brought him home to meet my parents one time, and right after dinner, my father pulled me aside to tell me exactly what he thought of him."

"What happened?"

"I went against what my father thought and continued to date him. Then I found out that he had been seeing a girl -who I thought was my friend- behind my back."

"So your father ended up being right?"

"In that instance, yes. But just because your father doesn't like the person you are seeing, doesn't necessarily make them bad for you."

"I see. Did you ever have this problem with your father, B'Elanna?"

B'Elanna froze for a few seconds. Clearly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was turning. "My father wasn't around when I was old enough to date. And I rarely dated."

"What about your mother? I read Klingon mothers are very protective of their children."

"Most of the boys that I did date didn't get the chance to meet my mother. She was rather… hostile about my 'human suitors'. I once made the mistake when I was sixteen of bringing home Andy Robbia for dinner. She told him that she would -with her bare hands- rip his tongue out of his throat if she ever caught it down mine. Needless to say we were stuck just holding hands for the rest of our relationship."

"So your mother didn't like you dating at all?"

"No, she was fine with me dating. She didn't like the fact that I was dating Humans. She would have been just fine if I started seeing a Klingon. Actually, she would have preferred it. But I wasn't about to go out of my way to find one, just to please my mother."

Kes shook her head.

"In the long run, Kes," Janeway said, "when it comes to dating, you should take into consideration what your parents, or other close family and friends for that matter, say about the person your seeing. Ultimately it's your decision on whether or not you continue seeing that person."

"No wonder people say dating is complicated."


End file.
